Droid Bionic goes under the knife, gets high marks for “repairability”

The DIY repair proponents at iFixit have gotten their hands on Motorola's latest Android handset—the Droid Bionic—and managed to disassemble it with just one screwdriver and a spudger. The design is not unlike other recent Moto smartphones, including the Droid 3 and Droid X2, and features a large 4.3" qHD screen. While the design doesn't break any new ground, the battery and microSD card are easy to access. The rest of the device is also easy to repair—a plus for tinkerers and those willing to take on repairs themselves.

The Bionic, which first appeared at CES in January, is touted as the thinnest 4G LTE handset. That may be true for its thinnest point at 0.43", but like the Droid X and X2, a larger bump at the top of the device is significantly thicker at 0.52". (For comparison, the iPhone is just 0.37" thick.)

iFixit noted that the bump is due to the rather large 8MP camera module that sits near the top of the device. The module appears similar to the 8MP modules used in the Droid X and X2, including the dual-LED flash. Thanks to its 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP processor, however, it can record full 1080p HD video.

The Bionic sacrifices thinness for repairability, with iFixit awarding it a 9 out of 10 score on that front. It only required a T5 Torx driver and a plastic spudger to get at its guts. A fairly simple logic board contains almost all components on one side (though nearly all of them are covered by hard to remove EMI shields). This reduces the need to rely on thin ribbon cables to place various components, like the front facing camera and proximity sensor, in the proper place. But that also means Moto couldn't shape the board to further recess the camera module, for instance.

Also, the 4.3" LCD touchscreen and its glass are separate pieces, meaning each part can be replaced independently for potentially cheaper repair. But having separate pieces means there is extra space between the components, resulting in a thicker device.

This is in stark contrast to Apple's iPhone 4. Its tiny logic board is designed around the large battery that takes up most of the volume inside the device, with major components snugly laid out on both sides. Other components, including speakers, mics, sensors, and more, are connected with a series of fragile ribbon connectors. And Apple uses special screws to try and keep all but the most ardent DIY-ers out.